Town hall debate fuels contest in Bedminster

In an unusual political situation, Republican Mayor Don Cross is
facing criticism from his own GOP line-mate as well as from an
upstart Democrat waging a write- in campaign.

Cross has been subjected to a barrage of flak during the past
six weeks over the committee majority's choice of the back yards of
three homes off Somerville Road as the preferred site for a new
town hall.

Among the mayor's most persistent critics is Katherine Wagner, a
Board of Adjustment member who will share the GOP line with him on
the Nov. 6 ballot. Wagner said she believes the site analysis
process was flawed, and that the governing body is placing unfair
pressure on the three property owners to sell.

"The way it's being handled makes people feel it's a done deal,"
said Wagner, an attorney who lives in The Hills housing
development.

Sharing the same opinion is Thomas Halgash, a Democrat who
launched a write- in campaign earlier this month in response to the
municipal building controversy.

Despite the similarities in Wagner's and Halgash's viewpoints on
the town hall issue and the fact that some longtime Republicans are
urging voters to cast ballots for the two of them they are not
running mates. It's pure coincidence that Wagner and Halgash both
chose red campaign signs with white lettering.

But neither is Wagner the running mate of Cross, a two-term
incumbent who has held the honorary position of mayor for the past
five years. All three candidates are running their own individual
campaigns.

Wagner, a member of the township's Republican municipal
committee, says she's dismayed to be at odds with the mayor on the
biggest issue currently before the governing body.

"I'm disappointed in how the town hall issue is being handled,"
said Wagner. "The process leading up to it (the selection of the
Somerville Road site) is creating a lot of animosity. It's
disheartening.

"This kind of infighting is the perfect inroad for candidates
such as Tom Halgash," she added. "If we're not careful, we're going
to leave ourselves open to Democratic candidates."

Despite her disagreement with Cross over the municipal building
site selection process, Wagner said she is generally in harmony
with the mayor on other issues, such as open space acquisition and
efforts to reduce traffic in the township.

Any connection with Wagner the largest vote-getter in the June
GOP primary election will likely benefit Halgash, who acknowledges
that being both a write-in candidate and a Democrat in a heavily
Republican town makes him a long shot for getting
elected.

"I know it will be an uphill battle," said Halgash, a Hillside
Avenue resident who's a stay-at-home father.

However, Halgash said, he doesn't believe the all-Republican
governing body has "a true mandate" from voters. He added that he
doesn't perceive most issues facing the township as being in any
way related to partisan politics.

"The issues that are important are pretty much embraced by most
of the community," Halgash said. "I don't think anyone in the
township wants to see overdevelopment or higher taxes."

Halgash, who has done some door-to-door campaigning, said he has
been encouraged by the amount of acceptance he has gotten from
residents so far.

"Maybe it's just the luck of the draw, but a lot of people seem
very supportive of having a choice," he said. "There are a lot of
people who have expressed discontent and want to see an
option."

'Experience Level'

The candidate who's done the least campaigning to date is Cross,
who is mourning the death of his son, Vincent, who died on Oct. 5
of complications following surgery for liver cancer.

"I've been so tied up with everything going on in the township
and in my life, I haven't been knocking on a lot of doors," said
Cross, a semi-retired management consultant who lives in The
Hills.

Responding to Halgash's candidacy, Cross said, "I've seen him at
meetings and h e seems to be a fairly intelligent young man."
However, the mayor added, "I'd have to question whether he truly
understands the amount of work it takes to be a public
servant.

Cross said he believes that during the past six years, he has
acted in accordance with the wishes of the majority of the
electorate. He listed farmland preservation, open space
acquisition, the "hike and bike" trail linking Pluckemin and
Bedminster villages, and the highway ramp project connecting
Interstate 78 with Route 202-206 as examples of initiatives he has
pursued.

Cross defended the municipal building site selection process,
saying it is a fact of law that certain subjects negotiations, land
acquisition, personnel and pending litigation must be discussed in
private.

"We don't have a choice," said Cross. "There are some things we
must discuss in closed session."

The particulars of the selection process, he said, can't be
disclosed until after a piece of land either the Somerville Road
site or some other tract is acquired by the township.

Perhaps as a result of the death of his son, Cross appears to
have lost some of the fighting spirit that characterized his
previous election campaigns.

"If I got defeated, I'd do something else in the community,"
said Cross. "I'd still volunteer, work for my neighbors."

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In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html